Osmotolerant yeast isolated from soy paste could grow on media with 2 M NaCl. This strain was identified as Zygosaccharomyces rouxii by biological characteristics, RFLP of ribosomal DNA and mating with compatible haploid strain. Growing rate of the Z. rouxii YDJ was slower than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Z. rouxii YDJ accumulated trehalose, which is known as one of the osmolytic protectants, in cells cultured on media with salt. Enzyme activity of trehalose phosphate synthase related to trehalose biosynthesis of the YDJ was lower than those of S. cerevisiae. Trehalase activity related trehalose degradation was also lower in Z. rouxii YDJ than S. cerevisiae. However, as Z. rouxii accumulated trehalose by salt treatment, salt tolerancy of Z. rouxii was assumed to be related to trehalose in additon to glycerol.

A cDNA library was constructed using mRNA from the cells of 7-day-old cultures of Flammulina velutipes after induction of fruiting treatment. A cDNA clone, FVFD16 (Flammulina velutipes fruiting body differentiation), was selected by differential screening. The expression property of the FVFD16 gene was examined by Northern blot analysis. FVFD16 represents mRNA that is specifically expressed during differentiation of fruit bodies. The conspicuous accumulation of the FVFD16 mRNA was detected in 4-day-old and 1-day-old cultures. The nucleotide sequence of the FVFD16 gene was determined and the mRNA contained an open reading frame that encoded a putative protein of 128 amino acid residues (13.5 kDa).

The phylogenetic position of Gliocladium and its related taxa were investigated, using the neighbor-joining method of the sequences from internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). It was focused especially on the generic concept by comparing with the related genera such as Trichoderma, Hypocrea, Verticillium, Penicillium and Talaromyces. Gliocladium species and its related genus were divided into three groups by the phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining method. The first group includes Penicillium-like strains such as Penicillium, Tararomyces, Verticillium and one species of Gliocladium (G. cibotii JCM 9203 and JCM 9206). Especially, Gliocladium cibotii JCM 9203 is thought to be the similar species with Verticillium bulbillosum JCM 9214. Between these two species, Gliocladium cibotii and Verticillium bulbillosum, the intraspecies concept needs to examined with culture condition. and morphological properties. The second group includes two species Verticillium, Verticillium tricorpus and Verticillium albo-atrum which extracted from the GenBank database in NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Trichoderma-like strains, such as Trichoderma, Hypocrea and several species of Gliocladium are included in the third group. Also, Gliocladium penicillioides IFO 5869 and Gliocladium catenulatum ATCC 10523 formed the subgroup of Trichoderma-like strains. The species of Gliocladium were dispersed in Trichoderma-like and Penicillinum-like group, and only one species of Gliocladium cihotii used in our study was located in Penicillium-like genus group. The species of Verticillium appeared in all three groups and the species of Trichoderma formed the monophylogeny with Hypocrea (telemorph). Also, Gliocladium virens was grouped with Trichoderma harzianum with a high bootstrap value, supporting that Gliocladium virens is to be placed in Trichoderma. The results suggest that Gliocladium is polyphyletic, and is more Trichoderma-like than Penicillium-like.

Cucurbitaceous vegetable crops grown in greenhouses in Korea were surveyed from 1995 to 1997. Incidence of Sclerotinia rot was as high as at its maximum on Cucumis melo var. reticulatus (netted melon), Cucumis sativus (cucumber), Cucurbita moschata (pumpkin) and Cucurbita pepo (summer squash) but relatively low on Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) and Cucumis melo var. makuwa (oriental melon). Symptoms of Sclerotinia rot developed on stems of all the cucurbits, fruits of five cucurbits except C. lanatus, petioles of two Cucurbita spp. and leaves of C. moschata. A total of 126 isolates of Sclerotinia sp. were obtained from the lesions and identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum based on the morphological and cultural characteristics. The fungus was very frequently isolated from stems and fruits of the cucurbits but rarely from petioles and leaves. Six isolates of the fungus were pathogenic to six cucurbits tested although there was some difference in virulence among the isolates to some of the hosts. C. lanatus was the most susceptible to the isolates, whereas C. melo var. makuwa was the most resistant. C. melo var. reticulatus and C. sativus were relatively susceptible to the isolates, and C. moschata and C. pepo relatively resistant.

Hirsutella subulata (Hyphomycetes) was observed for the first time on diseased larvae of Chilo suppressalis in Korea. This fungus formed slender and slightly attenuated synnemata consisting of closely bound, longitudinal hyphae on the insect larvae. Typical characteristics of this species are ellipsoid or broadly obovoid phialides with slender, needle-like necks and asymmetric conidia. It is very similar to H. barberi but can be distinguished by its asymmetrical conidia.

Three species belong to the genus Laboulbenia were collected on Carabidae (Coleoptera) and Harpalidae (Coleoptera) from several regions of Korea. Laboulbenia anoplogenii Thaxter was collected from Stenolophus quinquepustulatus Widemann. The characters of this species are the fourth layer of receptacle consisted of two or three cells and the distal end of its posterior cell projecting upward. The thalli were produced on posterior and anterior legs of the hosts. Laboulbenia habui Terada was collected from Chlaenius variicornis Bates. This species is characterized by the basal cells of the secondary appendage composed of short-cylindrical cells, arranged alternately on a double row. The thalli were produced from the elytra and anterior abdomen of the hosts. Laboulbenia pallida Thaxter was collected from Anisodactylus signatus Panzer. This species is distinguished from other related species by the rounded tip of perithecium and the outer appendage branched on the basal cell. The thalli were produced on the posterior elytra of the hosts.

In the present paper, a new variety of Cordyceps gunnii (Berk.) Berk. is reported. It differs from C. gunnii by its much smaller secondary ascospores, (2.0-) 3.3 , as well as thinner asci and cap of the asci. Its anamorph is also reported as a new variety of Paecilomyces gunnii Liang, the ansmorph of C. gunnii. Its differ from P. gunnii by its conidia, mostly subglobose and much bigger, (2.2-) 4.7 . The type specimen and dry type culture are deposited at Research Center for Entomogenous Fungi, Anhui Agriculture University, China.

Sphaerotheca fuliginea has previously been recorded as a powdery mildew fungus on dahlia (Dahlia pinnata) in Korea. Six collections of the dahlia mildew by the authors since 1993, however, show that the fungus does not contain conspicuous fibrosin bodies and has sinuate edge lines on conidiophores. These characters clearly indicate that the fungus causing the powdery mildew on dahlia in Korea is Erysiphe cichoracearum. On the other hand, one plant of dahlia grown in a pot was found to be infected with S. fusca (= S. fuliginea s. lat.). It is supposed to be unusual. Therefore, two species of dahlia mildew fungi are distributed and E. cichoracearum is the main cause of dahlia mildew in Korea.

To search for less toxic antiviral agents from Basidiomycetes, the water soluble components (=EA), were isolated from the carpophores of Elfvingia applanata (Pers.) Karst. Anti-varicella zoster virus (Oka strain; anti-VZV/Oka) activity of EA was examined in MRC-5 cells by plaque reduction assay in vitro. And the combined antiviral effects of EA with interferon (IFN) alpha or IFN gamma were examined on the multiplication of VZV/Oka. EA exhibited a dose-dependent reduction in the plaque formation of VZV/Oka with 50% effective concentration of . The results of the combination assay were evaluated by the combination index (CI) that was calculated by the multiple drug effect analysis. The combination of EA with IFN alpha showed partially synergistic or additive effects with CI values of for 50%, 70%, 90% effective levels, and those with IFN gamma showed antagonism with CI values of .